Post submitted by David Contreras Turley, former HRC Associate Regional Field Director

Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign and the Trans Rights Coalition of New York encouraged supporters across the Empire State to call and email the State Senate to urge them to take needed action on GENDA. The State Senate still needs to vote on the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act before session ends this month. This critical bill would add necessary gender identity and expression protections to New York’s anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws. Transgender New Yorkers are frequently denied employment, evicted from their homes, or harassed in public because of their gender identity. The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act would ensure that no one can be discriminated against because of who they are. New Yorkers can take action now by sending a message to their Senators.

Just last week, I helped plan and manage HRC GENDA phonebanks on behalf of the Trans Rights Coalition. I worked with HRC Political Committee Co-Chairs Dolorers Covrigaru and Marilyn Abalos along with our partners at the Empire State Pride Agenda, New York Civil Liberties Union and Housing Works to organize two full days of phone banking in New York City’s Time Square and Rochester. Volunteers phoned New Yorkers from Long Island to Western New York to encourage supporters to voice their support for GENDA to their New York Senators and Senate Leadership. Over 27 volunteers help produce 100’s of constituent contacts into key Senate offices. It is so important we keep building the momentum. We must pass GENDA now. Tell your State Senator to pass GENDA now.

HRC is a proud member of the New York Trans Rights Coalition, and we are working with our partners to change the law and add New York to the other sixteen states, plus D.C., that protect people based on gender identity or expression. For more information on how you can help pass GENDA, please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).